The present invention relates to medical devices, and more particularly to surgical sponges and wound dressings.
This invention is concerned with wound dressings and surgical sponges, such as ABD packs, or abdominal packs. Surgical sponges and wound dressings have evolved over many years of surgical practice. Presently used sponges and dressings are an attempt to retain both the advantages of thin, soft and flexible single layers and the absorptive cushioning and insulating properties of thicker padlike structures. As a result, the sponges and dressings have traditionally been formed of multiple layers of thin, soft, low-count gauzelike material which are unified along fairly widely separated lines usually extending longitudinally or transversely but in some instances in both directions. Unification has been accomplished either by lines of machine stitching whether the pack is formed of separated layers or, as is more common, by folding a single width of fabric, or by interweaving yarns in various layers of the multi-ply fabric as set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 250,238, filed May 4, 1972, of common assignee, now abandoned, a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 093,191 filed Nov. 27, 1970, now abandoned. Another sponge is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,241, incorporated herein by reference.
Although such sponges and dressings have been found useful in the past, it is desirable to improve the fluid transfer characteristics of the sponges and dressings, and minimize snagging of the sponges and dressings. Also, it is desirable to make the sponges and dressings both absorbent and nonadherent to the wound. As used hereinafter, the term "surgical sponges" will include wound dressings.